Suricata
| Suricata Temporal range: Early Pleistocene - Recent | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Herpestidae |
| Subfamily: | Mungotinae |
| Genus: | Suricata Desmarest, 1804 |
| Type species | |
| Suricata suricatta Schreber, 1776 | |
| Species | |
| |
Suricata is a genus of mongoose that is endemic to Africa. The oldest species known is the extinct Suricata major that lived about 1.8 million years ago in South Africa. The only species alive is the meerkat (Suricata suricatta).